Recently in FESTIVALS Category
HELLO EVERYONE.
Just a quick FYI that I will be attending GATECON in Vancouver on the 22nd(?) of August in Vancouver and that there will be a bit of a tribute to Don Davis. It will be great to see the fans (or should I say ‘family’) and I suspect a sad, but grand time will be had by all. I may also be attending the Dragon*Con film festival in Atlanta (CENTIGRADE), but it hasn’t been inked yet. That said, it’s been a little while since we’ve had any Centigrade News so here’s a quick update.
Dragon*Con in Atlanta has invited to screen Centigrade, but as mentioned, we’re trying to work out the details. Also, we’ve also been invited to ‘European Premiere’ the film at the BEST OF SHORTS FILM FESTIVAL in La Ciotat, France. What makes this so cool is the fact that the festival screens ONLY short films and must have taken a ‘BEST OF’ category at another festival in order to qualify. That, and it’s the birthplace of film itself. The first movie camera was invented in La Ciotat and we’re proud to be a part of it. The festival will take place in September.
Secondly, we have also been invited to screen in Spain at SITGES, INTERNATIONAL FANTASTIQUE FILM FESTIVAL (October). Super cool. A film fest in Spain. That said, I am seriously considering going to both. Only problem is that they are almost a month apart and I’m not going to fly back and forth from Canada or Los Angeles. Do NOT have the cash. And so, I’m considering hanging out. Maybe doing a bit of a European Tour if possible. And I wanted to put the word out there that if anyone has a lovely little beach shack in Cannes, a chateau in Madrid or a castle in Ireland, let me know!!!
Also if anyone has any connections or knows of any Conventions or appearances that I might be able to make, that would be a great thing as well. I am checking on a few things, but if anyone has an inside scoop, give me the heads up.
AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST!
As you know, ZACHARIA FARTED is now for sale through VIDEOMATICA . But as a special, limited time only promotion you can get a FREE COPY of CENTIGRADE with every purchase of ZACHARIA. It’s a great deal. Two films for one low price! Buy five and I’ll throw in a free oven mitt.
And that’s it! Hope all is well with everyone.
Talk soon.
C.
It’s been well over a year since Madison Graie suggested we create CENTIGRADE. Fifteen years since I first wrote it. And last night was one of those weird but wonderful ‘full circle’ moments in a lifetime of people, places and films.
The Directors Guild of Canada screened the (2007) Kick Start films at the Ridge theatre last night. And it was exactly one year ago that Madison and I sat in the very same theatre and watched those who had won the previous year.
Five films in all. And some of them were damn good. I was proud to be there. And Madison and I shared more than one unspoken wink. We made it. We actually did it. We lived to tell the tale.
We were proud.
Taking a ‘thought’ and manifesting a tangible, three dimensional reality from it is a pretty nifty trick. You are literally changing the world, albeit in a small way, but you are. You are not simply drifting through a life without consequence. Existing in the wake of others. Instead, you are simultaneously piloting and building a ship that is going to carry you to places that don’t even exist yet. There are few markers along the way and with little more than faith keeping you afloat it can get very scary. It’s a long, surreal and often lonely journey that will profoundly change how you see the world.
People are beginning to come up to Madison and I to shake our hands. Respected people. People we’ve never met before (but know by reputation). Actors, Producers, Cinematographers. Some of the best in the business. They see something different in what we’ve done and I think they find it refreshing. Word is beginning to spread. The film has qualified for an Academy Award and in an ocean of cinematic indifference, that’s a hard thing to ignore.
And so, we stood a little taller last night. A year ago we were sitting in the front row of the Ridge Theatre asking questions. Last night we were answering them. A difference of ten feet, one year and a gallon of blood.
But we did it.
We made it to the other side.
We earned our fifteen minutes. (Or, should I say 17 minutes, 11 seconds.)
So, I think we’re going to enjoy a bit of fruit. Have a little fun. God knows it won’t last forever. Soon we’ll be setting up shop again, ready to tackle the next big storm. Today the harbor’s calm and welcoming, but I can feel a little wind kicking up. Might be time to pull out the old pilots cap and carpenters hammer again.
A little scary, but that’s life. If you’re going to set out for new lands, sometimes you have to lose sight of the shore for a very long time.
Hey everyone.
Just a quick update to say that The Method Fest was absolutely wonderful. And… we picked up 2 nominations. Best Short and Best Actor.
Not only that, I actually won for Best Actor!!!
Yeeee Haaaaa!!!! And I have to say, I’ve never before seen such astonishing work at a festival. The shorts that they put together for this festival were some of the finest films I have ever seen. Just mind blowing work. Had a lot of good friends there too. Bri McQuair, JR Bourne, Mike Rudd, Phil Hayes, Rob Stilson, Mark Rickerby, Claudia Rickerby, Derek Horne, Ali Nakelski, Paul McGillion, Stevie Styles… and of course my Dad. It was a great week and it was a real blast to finally take an award.
That said… so far, the little film that could has screened ‘in competition’ in Montreal. Nominated for Best Emerging Director in Vancouver. Made the Top Ten lists in both Santa Barbara and Palm Springs and now, a nomination for Best Short, and a win for Best Actor. Not bad.
We’ve also been accepted as part of the film market in Cannes AND been asked to screen at the exceptional Jackson Hole International Film Festival in Wyoming.
All we need now is to win the lottery. My god this stuff costs money. Anyway, just wanted to give you guys a quick update.
Thanks again everyone for all the support. Thank you Method Fest!!
Sincerely,
Colin
SANTA FE FILM FESTIVAL - November, 2007
The film festival is a desperate thing.
Producers, directors, actors, distributors, service providers… All, acutely searching for the thing that might take them to the next step. It’s the strangest thing really and it takes many such events to truly get an understanding of how deep it actually runs.
Don’t get me wrong, this is an exceptional festival and I’m having a blast. Individuals getting together to celebrate the thing they love is a dear thing indeed, only unfortunate thing is that the people who ‘love’ films, love it more than the air they breathe.
The Santa Fe festival is an exceptional festival. Great people. Great films. Warm and generous staff. It’s definitely one of the warmest festivals I’ve ever been to, but all the more reason to ponder this idea. How, in such a warm and generous atmosphere, can there be this shadow? A most beautiful example of cinematic tribute, and yet… there’s a little elephant in the house. In fact, the better and more beautiful the fest, the more I become aware of it.
It’s a kind of melancholy. A longing. And it’s one powerful itch.
Why? What is it about movies that a person can love so much, that they’d willingly sacrifice everything they own for? To compromise ones financial security, one’s mental health, just to be near it. I’ve seen people gamble away fortunes. Sacrifice their retirement. Tempt financial ruin. Make themselves sick. Bankruptcy. Divorce. Just to make a movie. Granted, the blade swings long and wide and not everyone finds themselves in such circumstances, but the seeds are there.
I can see it their eyes. I see it mine.
We’re junkies.
Film is a drug. Make no mistake. No different than any other pernicious mistress. She’s more than happy to dance with you, but it’ll cost you a finger. The only difference perhaps being what you leave behind when the music ends. For the addict, it’s an empty syringe. For me, a seventeen minute epitaph called Centigrade.
That said, there are a few addicts here. I’ve seen them a thousand times over. In Cannes, Toronto, Sundance. And my heart goes out to them all.
It’s hard to describe what it’s like to want something so bad. To love a thing so much you’d pop open an eye just to be near it. And the more I see it celebrated, the more people want it. As a kid, I’d spend days, weeks, years… dreaming of it. It’s all you had. But now, to be closer to it than ever before. To be a part of it. To taste it. That’s when things can become a little strange. You are now in the most beautiful of settings. Celebrating the thing you love more than anything. And yet, you want more.
For the newbies, it’s that first break. And so, they go hard. Fearless and filled with boundless energy, going for broke. For the veteran, it’s ‘one more’ break. The one thing that will either stave off the end of their career or the thing that could just bring them back. They all want it. All need it.
And I’m no different.
And so, in the middle the white linen and warm smiles, the selling begins. Paper begins to move. Brochures, business cards, one sheets, flyers. Then there’s the kitchi stuff. Anything and everything you can stick the name of your film or company logo on. Bottle openers, sunscreen, pins. Or in my case, keychains. Little Centigrade thermometers to open the Lamborghini with.
But of course, that’s the promo end of it all. A by-product of the pursuit. Gotta let people know your there. It’s just that there’s so many of them. And they’re all pretty damn good. Great films and great filmmakers. And all of them, looking for a break. It’s a little sad, but also incredible to see so many people go for the gold in their own lives. These are the people who couldn’t sit quietly and pretend that life meant a cubicle peppered with Far Side cartoons and horoscopes. They’ve got guts. And therefore, no matter how strange things can get, they have my respect. There’s no better company in the world.
Because these are the artists. The story tellers. The self sacrificed. To capture a thought, an idea and marry it to celluloid is unlike anything you’ve ever done before. To go into the ether of ones mind and pull out a rabbit. To have the ability to trap your very imagination and then, to actually show it. Rewind it. Replay it. Stick it in the mail. There’s nothing like it in the world.
When performing live one of the greatest rewards is to experience what is often referred to as a ‘moment’. A twinkling, between performer and audience where both become so connected, that for a second, for a blink, there is no longer a show, no longer a stage. It’s that moment when the world and everything in it, disappears. As a performer, it is unlike anything you can imagine. But it is not for the uninitiated. It cannot be bought, sniffed or injected. It has be earned in ways that few have the stomach for. It is simply very, very hard.
But, to film such a moment and to have it forevermore? Gold.
Therefore, toss my hollowed carcass atop the pile of those who’ve come before me. You won’t hear me complain. It’s been an honor to walk the road. And to think that I’ve actually attained success along this path is more than I could have ever dreamed of. And I dreamed big. And sure, things get tough. You think of giving up. But that’s cool. So, you head back to your corner, take a breath, count to ten… then get ready for that bell baby. You’re not done yet.
Because at the end of the day, I pity the man who’s never dreamed that big. Ever wanted something so bad they’d subtract 10 years from their life just to say, “I did that.” To want something that bad. To be that desperate.
And so, the junkies open their kits one more time. One fires up a spoon… the other, a Mac. A questionable analogy perhaps, except for the fact that neither one has the inclination, nor the ability to quit.
